Improvement in thill-couplings



3.1. WISER.

ThiIl-Cuupling.

N0.163,713, Ptented May25,1875.

THE GRAPHIC CO.PHOTO-LITH.3Q&M PARK PLACE,NX.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

g SOLOMON J. wrsna, or BOWMANSVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THILL-COUPLINGS.

Sp:cificaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,713, dated May 25, 1875; application fiied April 20, 1875.

T0 all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON J. WISER, of Bowmansville, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a Thill-Ooupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, having reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, making a part of this specificati0n, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved thillconpling, showing its application. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, cf line 00 90 of Fig. I.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures wherever they appear.

Tlie nature of this invention Will first be described, and then pointed out in the claims.

A is the axle of a vehicle, &c. It has the usnal carriage-clips B to connect the wooden axle-tree with the axle proper,and it does not vary in construction fron1 those now in gen oral use. 0 is the thill or pole, as the case may be, and E E are conplings attached to each end of the axle A by means of the aforementioned clips B. These couplings I con pin J, attached to the loose jaw F in one and to both jaws in the other conpling. -K is a spring attached to the haft F and engaging With a notch or indentation, L, in the arm or shaft E in snob a manner that when the jaws E and F are properly closed the spring Will act as a brace to prevent the said jaws from opening, either accidentally or otherwise, until the said spring K is first released from its catch in the stationary shaft E. The jaws E and F are provided With the journal-pin J in such a manner that but one of the couplings has a pivot or projections forming the said journalpin in each jaw, while the other has a pin attached entirely to the loose jaw F, which pin, in this case, is of a length equal to the Width of themonth of the said jaws. This arrangement I find very convenient to properly engage and disengage the thill,which is efiected in the following manner: Supposing the thill oonpled, I take hold of both shafts of the tongue-like conpling of that which has the journal-pin attached to the loose jaw F, and press the shafts together afrer I have released the spring K. This Will withdraw the said journal-pin from the thill-iron, so that one side of the thill can be removed. Now I open the other jaws in a like manner, and remove the thill from these jaws also. .lhe process of connecting the thill is a reverse operation from that now described.

The jaws E and F are fitted so close to the thill-irons that no intervening rubber washers are needed to prevent this coupling from rattling, as the spring K has a tendency of closing the jaws E and F, thus tightly embracing the thill-irons. If wanted, however, rnbber washers may be placed upon the journal-pins as an additional precaution.

It Will be observed that my device is eqnally applicable t0 a thill or to a shart or pole,withont any alteration or change therein, and that the sameis a locked thill-conpling that can be manufactured from malleable iron or the like at a small cost.

Havihg thus fnlly described n1y invention, in order to enable any one skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, I desire to secnre to me by Letters Patent the following claims:

1. In a thill-coupling, the combination,with a stationary jaw, E, of a 1novable jaw, F, and a journal-pin, T, substantially as and for the purpose set fortin.

2. The combination, With the stationary jaws E and movable jaw F, of the spring K and the catch L, substantially as and for the pnrpose set forth.

3. The comhination, With the clip B, 015 the plate D, having the jaw E, lng H, and shaft E, With the catch L of the loose jaw F, projection F, and shaft F, journal-pin J, and spring K, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testin1ony whereof I have hereto set my hand this 16th day of April, 1875, in the presence of two subscrihing witnesses.

SOLOMON J. WISER.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL J. STARK, JOHN B. EDMONDS. 

